#anthestiria

[kallisti-al-taqiyyah]

I'm just a tiddle late, but Happy Anthestíria everyone ❤️

And now, Orphic Hymn 30: to Dionysôs

Original

Κικλήσκω Διόνυσον ἐρίβρομον, εὐαστῆρα, 1 πρωτόγονον, διφυῆ, τρίγονον, Βακχεῖον ἄνακτα, ἄγριον, ἄρρητον, κρύφιον, δικέρωτα, δίμορφον, κισσόβρυον, ταυρωπόν, ἀρήϊον, εὔϊον, ἁγνόν, ὠμάδιον, τριετῆ, βοτρυοτρὸφον, ἐρνεσίπεπλον. 5 Εὐβουλεῦ, πολύβουλε, Διὸς καὶ Περσεφονείης ἀρρήτοις λέκτροισι τεκνωθείς, ἄμβροτε δαῖμον· κλῦθι μάκαρ φωνῆς, ἡδὺς δ’ ἐπίπνευσον ἐνηής, εὐμενὲς ἦτορ ἔχων, σὺν ἐυζώνοισι τιθήναις.

Transliteration

Kiklískô Diónyson ærívromon, evastíra, 1 prôtógonon, diphií, trígonon, Vakheion ánakta, ágrion, árriton, krýphion, dikǽrôta, dímorphon, kissóvryon, tavrôpón, Aríion, évion, agnón, ômádion, triætí, votryotróphon, ærnæsípæplon. 5 Evvouléf, polývoulæ, Diós kai Pærsæphoneiis arrítis lǽktrisi tæknôtheis, ámvrotæ daimon; klýthi, mákar phônís, idýs d' æpípnefson æniís, evmænǽs ítor ǽkhôn, sýn evzóhnisi tithínais.

Translation

I call Dionysôs Bromios (the Thundering/loud-roaring)! Who wails in revel! 1 First-Born, two-natured, thrice-born, Vakkhic king, Wild, inscrutable, cryptic, two-horned, two-shaped, Bedecked in ivy, bull-faced, war-like, howling, holy, Divine victim, feasted every other year, adorned with grapes, bedecked in foliage. 5 Evvouléfs, counselor, Zevs and Korê bore you... on a secret bed, immortal Daimôn; Listen happy one to my voice, sweet and gentle divine inspiration, Having a kindly heart, with the aid of your chaste nurses!

[alatismeni-theitsa]

So, in actual practice, was Zeus the Greek Indra? I mean, yes, but like was he worshipped as god of rain and fertility like Indra?

Hmmm not that much. They have many things in common (being the father of gods, lighting, rains, dominion on the sky), it's just that the "vibes" are different 😂 To attempt a generic comparison, Zeus would be more like Brahma or Vishnu in how he was viewed. He's not that associated with rain and earth fertility.

There were many different they disassociated with rain, weather and rain fertility, so there wasn't just one "god of rain". Even Poseidon can bring storms, or one of the Wings can do that. There are also the Hyades, nymphs who bring rain. Demeter is not to be forgotten when we talk about the soil. There were also some seasonal festivals and rituals that were done in order to invite land fertility, and some were associated with Dionysus. (A lot have carried through in our days, in Christian Greece)

Zeus could control the weather but I don't remember him being invoked much when it came to such matters. He was invoked, but he would probably be one of the last deites to get prayers for rain or soil fertility.

Please take a look at this thesis on the ancient and modern rain rituals! As far as I could check it was accurate and the writer did a decent amount of research, plus consulting Greeks and Greek folklorists on the matter.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Tsiknopempti, Kreatini week and its ancient origins

Tsiknopempti ("pempti" = fifth/Thursday + “tsíkna” = the smell/smoke of burnt meat) is the Thursday of Kreatini (Meaty) week, where Greeks celebrate and eat meat. Kreatini week includes intense celebrations, without being limited by the church rules. 

Before the fasting for the Easter starts, Profoni week, Kreatini week (week of the meat) and Tirini week (week of the cheese) exist, creating gradual limitations in food for the one who wants to fast. This period is called Apokria/week of Apokreo and it literally means “abstaining from meat”.  Despite the fact most of modern Greeks don’t fast, we still celebrate days like Tsiknopempti (because more food, duuuuh!).

That period is also called Carnavali, from the latin word Carneval/Carnevale (Carne=meat and Vale=pass). As you can guess, we celebrate the Carnavali by masking/disguising, drinking, singing and dancing on the streets. The Carnival of Patra and Xanthi are the most famous, but every town and villages celebrates it. Disguising and celebrating in such manner goes back to Dionysian traditions. In some areas satirical depictions of marriages ceremonies are presented.  

Ancient Origin:

“In Saturday of Kreatini week, and the Saturdays of the next two weeks are devoted to the souls of the dead. These Soul Saturdays (Psichosavata/Ψυχοσάβατα) seem to stem from ancient tratidions. In ancient Athens Anthestiria were celebrated around that time and the third day of the celebration (Chitri, Χύτροι) was the day of souls, with making a porridge of seeds for the dead (something like modern koliva), which was called “panspermia”, and offerings (σπονδές) of water on the graves.”

— Yorwos N. Ekaterinides